In CS digital broadcast or BS digital broadcast beginning in 2000, program information except for broadcast program can be transmitted. Accordingly, various services can be provided. For example, if the program information such as a program title, performers, or a genre is provided for each program by an electrical program guide (EPG), a viewer easily executes operation of recording reservation or registers his interesting genre and performer with the recorder. In this way, his desired program can be automatically retrieved from the broadcast program and recorded. Furthermore, in proportion to multi-channel in CS digital broadcast or BS digital broadcast, it often happens that multiple desired programs are telecasted at the same time. In consideration of the above-mentioned status, the viewer does not always watch the broadcast program in real time. After recording the broadcast program, the viewer often watches the broadcast program by reproducing the broadcast program. Hereafter, the latter case is predicted to increase.
On the other hand, recently, recording/reproducing apparatus such as VTR often include a function to skip CM (commercial program) while recording the broadcast program. Furthermore, recently, a set top box (STB) and a personal video recorder (PVR) storing disk storage such as HDD appeared on the market. In these equipments, the broadcast program is easily recorded by skipping CM or the recorded broadcast program is easily reproduced by random access function on the disk while CM in the broadcast program is skipped.
In this way, if program audience status to record/reproduce the broadcast program by skipping CM is widely spread, as for an advertiser (i.e., CM provider) of the broadcast program, chance for the viewer to watch CM of the advertiser's company reduces. Accordingly, a method to encourage the viewer watch the CM program is desired.
In this case, one example of the method to certainly have the viewer watch the CM program is disclosed in Japanese Patent disclosure (Kokai) PH 11-18113. In this reference, a message such as an inquiry is displayed during telecasting the CM program. If the viewer replies to the message, a point is counted for the viewer, and a program charge of a toll broadcast is discounted in proportion to the point. However, in this method, it is the assumption that the viewer watches the broadcast CM on real time. As for view situation that the broadcast CM program is reproducing after recording, the effect is not expected. Accordingly, even if the broadcast CM is recorded and reproduced after that, by giving point information to the viewer, the broadcast program recording/reproducing apparatus to promote for the user to watch CM without skipping is desired.